Friends
by Whimsical Whimsicott
Summary: The Duchy is under attack. Victor and Alternis have been separated from Victoria. It's up to their close friendship to reunite with each other.


"Victor...please. You need to get up now. We have to get away from here, immediately. The building...it's going to collapse soon and we're right in the middle of it. Please...get up...!" Victor could hear the distant voice clearly and knew that it was Alternis that begged so desperately for him to find the strength to run just a bit farther to safety. The building they were in, the fortress of an army and the home of an army, was being reduced to rubble by bombs that were strategically placed by a traitor and the enemy. Victor hadn't been in the right place to avoid the injuries he sustained; he felt the heartbreak when the civilians placed in his care laid helplessly in their beds and burned to death. Alternis had found him there watching and had forced him to start running. "Victor! I know you can hear me!"

Victor looked at Alternis wearily, wishing that he could have done something more to save the people he had already been trying to save. He, more than anything at the moment, wanted to risk his life by going back to see if anyone would have survived the blast and the fire that followed. In the back of his head, though, he knew it would be a pointless attempt at trying something he had tried back when he was in his youth.

Alternis had finally encouraged Victor back to his feet, despite how tired the both of them were. The chunks of brick falling from the ceiling and the pieces of floor falling beneath them showed how little time they had left to get out of there. As they ran through the crumbling hallways, Victor looked back at when he had first met Alternis.

It wasn't the best of meetings but it also wasn't the worst. Victor had been taken in by the first general of their organization when he was found to be quite extreme in his knowledge of white magic. However, that knowledge was taken for granted and the first commander began to use him 24/7. He was put in the infirmary ward and set to work healing the wounded soldiers that would come back in critical condition. There were times when he was able to heal them and there were other times where he had to put them out of their misery. The ward was where he first met Alternis.

Alternis had been suited in his armor, the armor that his division apparently all wore, and Victor had found it a hassle to remove...but as soon as the metal was off, Victor was stunned to see a very pleasant looking man underneath. He wasn't like the others who were built with unecessary muscle or had untamed facial hair. Instead, Alternis was fairly pale and small in stature with a clean face. It wasn't what Victor had expected at all. Alternis never spoke to him in the time that Victor healed his wounds. But he did come back. This time he came with a very small girl who was dressed in copious amounts of red with black hair pulled back in pigtails...also adorned in red. She introduced herself to Victor very quickly.

Victoria.

Victor had no memory of his real past and he was almost sure that his real name wasn't Victor but that was what Victoria started calling him and he didn't mind sticking with it. So he was now Victor Court, a white mage that was part of the duchy. He had a feeling his last name was Court so he decided to keep that to himself. Nonetheless, Victoria and Alternis had accepted him fairly quickly because of his smarts and his ability to agree with anything they said (even if he didn't agree). He learned to never say no to Victoria and eventually became her personal slave.

He was glad that Kamiizumi gave him the chance to join the duchy as a help to all instead of a help to the contained. Victoria and Alternis allowed him to join as well without complaint. Of that, he couldn't be more thankful. And now...

"Victor!" the voice snapped him back to the present fairly quickly. This wasn't like Victor, going back to the past so easily in such a dire situation. His lungs burned and his legs felt raw. The fire that had destroyed the infirmary had left him in a large amount of pain and every bit more that he ran felt as though he was being tortured. "I can't run any faster, Alteris," Victor finally hissed at his friend.

Friend. He had never called Alternis nor Victoria that to their faces and he probably still wouldn't if he survived this. He had always considered them true friends ever since they took him in. He and Alternis were in the same boat right now...with the place collapsing in on itself...their making it out alive was bleak. They didn't know yet of Victoria and her whereabouts.

They could only hope she was already outside. Victoria wasn't the one to die so easily.

"I could get us out faster if you'd just..." Victor started but quieted when Alternis turned to him.

"I know you're skilled at white magic and you're better than anyone else here, Victor, but if you even try to teleport us out of here..." Alternis hesitated as if he didn't need to say what would happen, "You'll die, Victor. I can't watch you die after trying to save the both of us!"

"But what about Victoria? If we both die here then she'll be alone!"

Alternis stopped speaking afterwards and looked forward, continuing to pull Victor along, slower now. Victor could tell he was debating it. He didn't think he'd die by teleporting the two of them but Alternis was right in saying that he was too weak to do it. He needed support and energy, both of which he didn't have.

"What do I need to do to keep you from dying, Victor?"


End file.
